Michael Foster
@michaelfoster.bsky.social
Co-founder @newsmast.bsky.social.
Discovering things, paths, people, ideas.
Driving change through the social web.
“A secret new internet you may not have heard of, a paradise to which we may all yet escape.”
https://newsmastfoundation.org
Discovering things, paths, people, ideas.
Driving change through the social web.
“A secret new internet you may not have heard of, a paradise to which we may all yet escape.”
https://newsmastfoundation.org
Pinned
Michael Foster
@michaelfoster.bsky.social
· Oct 22
Addition, magic, community. Bluesky & the Fediverse.
How 3 + 0 adds up to more than 1 + 2
This week Bluesky added over a million users. It’s taken a lot of moving parts coming together to get to this. Over in the Fediverse the parts are still being man...
www.blog-pat.ch
“Atproto for public-global, activitypub for local semi networked communities seems like the most likely direction this space will go” [email protected] . Bluesky is on fire. What’s happening in the Fediverse? Here’s why 3 + 0 adds up to more than 2 + 1
#Fediverse
www.blog-pat.ch/addition-mag...
#Fediverse
www.blog-pat.ch/addition-mag...
Reposted by Michael Foster
Can we build an internet centered around human rights? I sat down with
@mallory.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy to talk about building the social web for all of us.
youtu.be/BBrJpbN4Lw4?...
@mallory.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy to talk about building the social web for all of us.
youtu.be/BBrJpbN4Lw4?...
Building Human Rights Into the Social Web (with Mallory Knodel)
YouTube video by revolution.social with @rabble
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Can we build an internet centered around human rights? I sat down with
@mallory.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy to talk about building the social web for all of us.
youtu.be/BBrJpbN4Lw4?...
@mallory.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy to talk about building the social web for all of us.
youtu.be/BBrJpbN4Lw4?...
Reposted by Michael Foster
I'm so psyched about @bonfire.bonfire.cafe.ap.brid.gy's work on making the open social internet good for real communities by putting in the culture work right from the very beginning. I'm a scavenger and a pragmatist *and also* I think the way we do things matters.
www.wrecka.ge/sparks-fly-up/
www.wrecka.ge/sparks-fly-up/
Sparks fly up
Once you’ve seized the tools of political life to build communal power, it’s hard to forget what a hammer feels like in your hand.
www.wrecka.ge
November 11, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I'm so psyched about @bonfire.bonfire.cafe.ap.brid.gy's work on making the open social internet good for real communities by putting in the culture work right from the very beginning. I'm a scavenger and a pragmatist *and also* I think the way we do things matters.
www.wrecka.ge/sparks-fly-up/
www.wrecka.ge/sparks-fly-up/
Reposted by Michael Foster
Really excited about Bonfire's launch!
Along with their first release, they started a fundraiser for their roadmap, which includes projects with us at @anew.social to integrate with Bridgy Fed and Bounce 🙂
More details coming in a blog post next week!
Check out their fundraiser here:
Along with their first release, they started a fundraiser for their roadmap, which includes projects with us at @anew.social to integrate with Bridgy Fed and Bounce 🙂
More details coming in a blog post next week!
Check out their fundraiser here:
November 7, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Really excited about Bonfire's launch!
Along with their first release, they started a fundraiser for their roadmap, which includes projects with us at @anew.social to integrate with Bridgy Fed and Bounce 🙂
More details coming in a blog post next week!
Check out their fundraiser here:
Along with their first release, they started a fundraiser for their roadmap, which includes projects with us at @anew.social to integrate with Bridgy Fed and Bounce 🙂
More details coming in a blog post next week!
Check out their fundraiser here:
Reposted by Michael Foster
What we’re witnessing is pure intimidation masked as performative politics. The chaos in cities like Chicago isn’t just a spectacle; it’s calculated cruelty aimed at making blue strongholds kneel to fear. We won’t stand for this attempt to undermine our democratic values. #politics #democracy
November 1, 2025 at 8:46 PM
What we’re witnessing is pure intimidation masked as performative politics. The chaos in cities like Chicago isn’t just a spectacle; it’s calculated cruelty aimed at making blue strongholds kneel to fear. We won’t stand for this attempt to undermine our democratic values. #politics #democracy
Reposted by Michael Foster
Writing about why the existence of Bounce is so personal for me, and it's been tough to relive memories of the communities I've lost.
The web is a beautiful place, but it's always at risk of being stolen from us. I feel so fortunate to be a part of a coalition of builders + users fighting for it.
The web is a beautiful place, but it's always at risk of being stolen from us. I feel so fortunate to be a part of a coalition of builders + users fighting for it.
October 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Writing about why the existence of Bounce is so personal for me, and it's been tough to relive memories of the communities I've lost.
The web is a beautiful place, but it's always at risk of being stolen from us. I feel so fortunate to be a part of a coalition of builders + users fighting for it.
The web is a beautiful place, but it's always at risk of being stolen from us. I feel so fortunate to be a part of a coalition of builders + users fighting for it.
I was at the Thompson Reuters Trust Conference last week. Blinded by AI and blindsided by Trump, liberal institutions are in survival mode.
How can those of us working in the Open Social Web fight back? Sarah Connor offers inspiration.
www.blog-pat.ch/the-end-of-l...
How can those of us working in the Open Social Web fight back? Sarah Connor offers inspiration.
www.blog-pat.ch/the-end-of-l...
The end of liberalism and the beginnings of resistance
I was at the Thompson Reuters Trust Conference last week. A good place to see where the philanthropic arm of the liberal elite is heading.*
Short answer: it's lost.
Blinded by AI and blindsided by T...
www.blog-pat.ch
October 28, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I was at the Thompson Reuters Trust Conference last week. Blinded by AI and blindsided by Trump, liberal institutions are in survival mode.
How can those of us working in the Open Social Web fight back? Sarah Connor offers inspiration.
www.blog-pat.ch/the-end-of-l...
How can those of us working in the Open Social Web fight back? Sarah Connor offers inspiration.
www.blog-pat.ch/the-end-of-l...
“The ecosystems we have today offer plentiful ways for people who care about community self-governance to support the work of building out viable systems for high-context governance and connecting them together” - tiny quote from an insightful piece.
techpolicy.press/trump-admini...
techpolicy.press/trump-admini...
Trump Administration's Arrival on Bluesky Highlights Growing Pains for Open Networks | TechPolicy.Press
The administration’s antagonistic entry to the platform is best understood as a game of chicken, writes Erin Kissane.
techpolicy.press
October 22, 2025 at 5:55 PM
“The ecosystems we have today offer plentiful ways for people who care about community self-governance to support the work of building out viable systems for high-context governance and connecting them together” - tiny quote from an insightful piece.
techpolicy.press/trump-admini...
techpolicy.press/trump-admini...
Reposted by Michael Foster
Really excited to roll out Bounce Beta 2 today! Now you can migrate your Mastodon account to any existing Bluesky, Blacksky, or any other ATProto account 🚀
And we're live! Starting today, you can use Bounce to migrate from Mastodon to an existing Bluesky, Blacksky, or any other ATProto account! Check it out: blog.anew.social/bounce-beta-...
October 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Really excited to roll out Bounce Beta 2 today! Now you can migrate your Mastodon account to any existing Bluesky, Blacksky, or any other ATProto account 🚀
Reposted by Michael Foster
This is so important and organizing on the open social web may be the most vital, free, and billionaire-proof places left to do digital organizing. #nokings
Just under 1 week till #nokings protest. Here’s the plan:
1. Share / boost this post to grow account - help us grow to largest social reach by 18th ✅ 2. Amp and boost all Nokings posts leading up to 18th. We will, too. ✅ 3. On protest day take pics and share […]
[Original post on channel.org]
1. Share / boost this post to grow account - help us grow to largest social reach by 18th ✅ 2. Amp and boost all Nokings posts leading up to 18th. We will, too. ✅ 3. On protest day take pics and share […]
[Original post on channel.org]
October 12, 2025 at 2:13 PM
This is so important and organizing on the open social web may be the most vital, free, and billionaire-proof places left to do digital organizing. #nokings
Reposted by Michael Foster
Vital, highly condensed, very well prioritized stuff on why the open social web matters so much—and how it can help people do the necessary work of society in our very rough moment—from @ben at #fediforum. The keynote is being recorded and I'm so glad, because I will be recommending it widely.
October 7, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Vital, highly condensed, very well prioritized stuff on why the open social web matters so much—and how it can help people do the necessary work of society in our very rough moment—from @ben at #fediforum. The keynote is being recorded and I'm so glad, because I will be recommending it widely.
Reposted by Michael Foster
A Monday morning reminder to support @blackskyweb.xyz, @transrights.northsky.social, @slices.network, and anyone else building AppViews/AppView infra. We need redundant spaces yesterday, and these folks are doing the legwork to make it happen.
October 6, 2025 at 4:49 PM
A Monday morning reminder to support @blackskyweb.xyz, @transrights.northsky.social, @slices.network, and anyone else building AppViews/AppView infra. We need redundant spaces yesterday, and these folks are doing the legwork to make it happen.
Reposted by Michael Foster
As #Fediforum is tomorrow, and covers both #ATProto, #ActivtyPub and other open social web dev tech, good to remined all that I have the BlueSky feed for this live and updated: bsky.app/profile/did:... cc: @surf.social #surffeeds
October 6, 2025 at 3:35 PM
As #Fediforum is tomorrow, and covers both #ATProto, #ActivtyPub and other open social web dev tech, good to remined all that I have the BlueSky feed for this live and updated: bsky.app/profile/did:... cc: @surf.social #surffeeds
Reposted by Michael Foster
While the newest drama is playing itself out, here’s a great opportunity for us to lay an old one to rest:
github.com/swicg/activi...
@thisismissem.social has jumped in with an open and collaborative spirit already. If @danabra.mov can check in here too, we can bury this 🥩 and *get on with it.*
github.com/swicg/activi...
@thisismissem.social has jumped in with an open and collaborative spirit already. If @danabra.mov can check in here too, we can bury this 🥩 and *get on with it.*
Integrate architecture from Dan Abramov Open Social post · Issue #17 · swicg/activitypub-api
Dan Abramov has an article about the architecture of ATProto: https://overreacted.io/open-social/ @ThisIsMissEm notes that there may be useful architectural notes for this TF.
github.com
October 4, 2025 at 11:48 AM
While the newest drama is playing itself out, here’s a great opportunity for us to lay an old one to rest:
github.com/swicg/activi...
@thisismissem.social has jumped in with an open and collaborative spirit already. If @danabra.mov can check in here too, we can bury this 🥩 and *get on with it.*
github.com/swicg/activi...
@thisismissem.social has jumped in with an open and collaborative spirit already. If @danabra.mov can check in here too, we can bury this 🥩 and *get on with it.*
Reposted by Michael Foster
We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace and people’s community control of modern technology. 🏴☠️
Not sure if you've ever read Rudy's three-part series "Blacksky: Expressing the Black Everyday in a New Digital Space" from a couple of years ago but it's great grounding for the work he and the team have done since then.
blog.rudyfraser.com/blacksky-par...
blog.rudyfraser.com/blacksky-par...
Blacksky: Expressing the Black Everyday in a New Digital Space (Part 3)
We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace and people’s community control of modern technology.
- Black Panther Party 10 Point Program
blog.rudyfraser.com
October 3, 2025 at 8:52 PM
We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace and people’s community control of modern technology. 🏴☠️
Reposted by Michael Foster
If the last three years of decentralized social media has taught me anything, it's that protocol just doesn't move the needle for regular folks, no matter the technical benefits. But the people who work on the technical end are really into it.
Getting them to meet in the middle is hard. (Thread 🧵)
Getting them to meet in the middle is hard. (Thread 🧵)
October 4, 2025 at 3:47 AM
If the last three years of decentralized social media has taught me anything, it's that protocol just doesn't move the needle for regular folks, no matter the technical benefits. But the people who work on the technical end are really into it.
Getting them to meet in the middle is hard. (Thread 🧵)
Getting them to meet in the middle is hard. (Thread 🧵)
Reposted by Michael Foster
Safely landed and posting from my own PDS 🛬😌
October 3, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Safely landed and posting from my own PDS 🛬😌
Things are coming together at @newsmastfoundation.org. Here’s the big idea we’re working on:
What if every community could have their own social platform, driven by an own-branded mobile app, as easy to build as Facebook Groups?
#Fediverse #SocialMedia #Community
www.blog-pat.ch/building-app...
What if every community could have their own social platform, driven by an own-branded mobile app, as easy to build as Facebook Groups?
#Fediverse #SocialMedia #Community
www.blog-pat.ch/building-app...
Building apps for social spaces
The Newsmast team was in Rome last week, working through our messaging and branding with a non-profit agency. It was hot, hard work, ending up with a lot of mosquito bites, some fabulous memories and ...
www.blog-pat.ch
September 30, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Things are coming together at @newsmastfoundation.org. Here’s the big idea we’re working on:
What if every community could have their own social platform, driven by an own-branded mobile app, as easy to build as Facebook Groups?
#Fediverse #SocialMedia #Community
www.blog-pat.ch/building-app...
What if every community could have their own social platform, driven by an own-branded mobile app, as easy to build as Facebook Groups?
#Fediverse #SocialMedia #Community
www.blog-pat.ch/building-app...
Reposted by Michael Foster
On big social platforms, moderation is a black box: if you get deplatformed, there’s little explanation & no one to talk to.
Blacksky is different. Community-led moderation means real people, real accountability, and rules shaped by the community.
Ep with @rude1.blacksky.team & @rabble.nz out now.
Blacksky is different. Community-led moderation means real people, real accountability, and rules shaped by the community.
Ep with @rude1.blacksky.team & @rabble.nz out now.
September 26, 2025 at 4:27 PM
On big social platforms, moderation is a black box: if you get deplatformed, there’s little explanation & no one to talk to.
Blacksky is different. Community-led moderation means real people, real accountability, and rules shaped by the community.
Ep with @rude1.blacksky.team & @rabble.nz out now.
Blacksky is different. Community-led moderation means real people, real accountability, and rules shaped by the community.
Ep with @rude1.blacksky.team & @rabble.nz out now.
Reposted by Michael Foster
some thoughts on explaining atproto by comparing it to news wire services like AP or Reuters
(h/t @seabass.bsky.social)
(h/t @seabass.bsky.social)
atproto is wire services for user generated content
another way to explain atproto
connectedplaces.leaflet.pub
September 22, 2025 at 6:09 PM
some thoughts on explaining atproto by comparing it to news wire services like AP or Reuters
(h/t @seabass.bsky.social)
(h/t @seabass.bsky.social)
Reposted by Michael Foster
Power is the rock on which truth founders. The mainstream media, with a few exceptions, is a single-issue lobby group, whose purpose is to assert the rights of capital.
Here's what I've learnt about the industry in 40 years in journalism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Here's what I've learnt about the industry in 40 years in journalism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I have now been a journalist for 40 years. The forces ranged against my profession have never been so powerful | George Monbiot
Once, I believed that humanity’s problem was an information deficit. Now, I know you can’t speak truth to power if power controls your words, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
September 20, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Power is the rock on which truth founders. The mainstream media, with a few exceptions, is a single-issue lobby group, whose purpose is to assert the rights of capital.
Here's what I've learnt about the industry in 40 years in journalism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Here's what I've learnt about the industry in 40 years in journalism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Michael Foster
Becoming increasingly clear we’re gonna have to build a parallel infrastructure for all the media we really love. The reason all of this is happening under the color of law is hyperconsolidation, dissent being traded straight up for merger approval, or fear of harassment.
September 18, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Becoming increasingly clear we’re gonna have to build a parallel infrastructure for all the media we really love. The reason all of this is happening under the color of law is hyperconsolidation, dissent being traded straight up for merger approval, or fear of harassment.
Reposted by Michael Foster
I'll be speaking at the Stop Trump demo in Parliament Square today. A fascist autocratic clearly itching to declare martial law is not welcome here.
share.google/sWEe8YGl3euj...
share.google/sWEe8YGl3euj...
Trump Not Welcome | 17 September 2025
Stop Trump Coalition
share.google
September 17, 2025 at 8:06 AM
I'll be speaking at the Stop Trump demo in Parliament Square today. A fascist autocratic clearly itching to declare martial law is not welcome here.
share.google/sWEe8YGl3euj...
share.google/sWEe8YGl3euj...
Users today want instant immersion. From Blacksky to a hometown Group, Anisota to the Provincetown Indie, feed readers to blogging newsletters, there are collective, curated ways to create immersive online experiences, connecting users to communities.
www.blog-pat.ch/homes-from-h...
www.blog-pat.ch/homes-from-h...
Homes from home
I’ve been away from home, on holiday. A good time to ruminate on open social web homes from home. Here’s five takeaways from the last couple of weeks.
One. Blacksky
Blacksky is winning aclaim for i...
www.blog-pat.ch
August 28, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Users today want instant immersion. From Blacksky to a hometown Group, Anisota to the Provincetown Indie, feed readers to blogging newsletters, there are collective, curated ways to create immersive online experiences, connecting users to communities.
www.blog-pat.ch/homes-from-h...
www.blog-pat.ch/homes-from-h...
Reposted by Michael Foster
I'm so excited for our Bounce Beta launch today, not just because everyone can finally try it out, but also because of the foundations it lays for what we can build next. (1/4🧵)
Today, we're launching the first Beta of Bounce, a tool that lets you migrate your social graph across protocols!
We got such a positive response from our announcement, and we're so excited for folks to try it out.
Here's what you need to know when you Bounce: blog.anew.social/bounce-beta-...
We got such a positive response from our announcement, and we're so excited for folks to try it out.
Here's what you need to know when you Bounce: blog.anew.social/bounce-beta-...
August 25, 2025 at 7:15 PM
I'm so excited for our Bounce Beta launch today, not just because everyone can finally try it out, but also because of the foundations it lays for what we can build next. (1/4🧵)